Light from the Shadow

Chapter 39

"We can use this!" Jyaga cried, taking out a bluish glass orb from the inner pocket below his clothes.

Rishi shook his head. He was not even looking at the item Jyaga was holding. He knew what that was.

"What is that?" Kuan asked.

"This..." Jyaga paused. The orb in his hand was one of the two things the king had entrusted him to bring with him. When the king heard the surviving prince he had hid all this time was in trouble in Solbaru, he was wary of how the situation might evolve. He gave his most trusted knight two magi filled orbs, only to be used in an emergency. The first one, the knight had used it to call the earthquake that shook the city a while ago. The magi was not meant to harm anyone but it was strong enough to create confusion. The second one, a healing magi... was what he was holding now.

"Give it to Ares." The librarian said without changing his expression much.

"But the princess!!" The knight protested.

"Magi doesn't work on a dead person's body." The librarian replied. His eyes were hollow.

"Wha... what do you mean dead? The princess..." Jyaga could not continue. He looked like he was about to cry. Rishi did not say anything. He just stood still, looking like a lost man.

"My Lord, please save Ares! I know I'm in no position to beg for this but please!" Kuan went down to his knees and begged Jyaga. He was crying. Words could not describe how he was feeling at the moment.

Jyaga closed his eyes and walked to where Ares was lying with physicians surrounding her. He took one last look at the orb before crushing it with his bare hand, letting the magi fragments entered the dying princess' body.

"What... what happened?!" The physicians were bewildered. The wound was slowly healing itself. "This... is this really the ancient power of magi...?" They quickly checked Ares' pulse again and moved their heads up and down in unison. "This is... amazing. Her Highness is saved." They turned to Helten who still could not believe what he just saw.

"Your Highness, we..."

Helten struck all the physicians down with one move from his sword.

"Wha... what the hell are you doing??" Jyaga and Kuan were shocked.

"The less people know about this power, the better." Helten threw his sword away.

There were no one in the square besides them. All the remaining crowds had been asked to leave and Solbaru soldiers had been taken away when Lord Remwar's soldiers arrived.

"Helten..."

The crown prince lowered himself and touched his wife's face. The color had slowly returned. He got up and descended the staircases.

"Where are you going, Helten?" His brother asked.

"I'm going to see father and Lord Remwar." He paused then added. "Kuan, can you take care of Ares for me?"

"What are you going to do?" Kuan asked again.

"I... lost this war... there is nothing I can do." He said without looking back. Kuan continued to stare at his brother's back until it disappeared from his view.

***

A huge protest against the emperor and the crown prince led by Lord Remwar was held in front of the Royal Court the next day. He gathered the crowd and described how the former general had attempted to kill his own daughter-in-law, Princess Ares and his plan to invade Kingdom of Remblan, breaking the hundred-year-old pact which could lead to another war, a war that possibly would take many innocent lives. Emperor Tana was also subjected to the killing of many whom tried to hinder his plans. The princess' father continued. He brought up the emperor's past crimes from 15 years ago. How he betrayed and killed the late emperor who had treated him like a brother and best friend. The lord swore he would not stop until the emperor was punished heavily for his crime and had all his titles stripped off, including his position as the ruler of the empire.

***

Rishi looked at the peaceful face in front of him. She looked like she was sleeping.

"Were you scared?" He put her hand into his. "Were you that scared that you decided to end your own life?" He touched the magi mark on her cold hand.  A drop of tear fell on it. He remembered their last meeting that night. The way he pushed her out, blaming her for his father's death. Her trembling shoulders when he lashed out all his anger and grief at her.

"Is this how you wish to punish me? Because I force you to learn magi?"

Rishi had heard everything from Kuan. During the trial that was held that morning, the crown prince admitted that he had forced the foreign princess to marry his brother, Prince Kuan by threatening to kill her and her people. He had done so because he wanted the Kingdom of Remblan to be a part of Solbaru Empire. The princess had fiercely refused and driven to the difficult situation, she chose to take her own life with the poison he had prepared for her. He also admitted to have killed four royal physicians because they were doing poor job when treating his wife, the crown prince consort. He refused to say anything about his father's attempt to kill his wife.

The jury had reacted with revulsion. They were aghast at his confession. A crown prince, would use such a low method to attack the poor princess, the only heir to Kingdom of Remblan. The king would surely seek justice for his dead daughter. The court were soon filled with anxious crowd.

Do you think they will attack us for killing the princess?

Don't be silly! Remblan is such a small country. They can't possibly do anything to us!

But if the power mentioned in the history is true...

You mean magi? Hah! If it's true, the princess could have used it on us instead of killing herself!

Helten did not mention the mysterious power he witnessed that had saved Ares. He could not. He stayed silent after he confessed his crime.

"I see..." Rishi had said when Kuan came to report to him. After he heard the whole story, he knew it was not true. The princess did not drink any poison for he knew Helten had never wished to kill her. Rishi touched the mark on her hand. The mark that he noticed had turned black when he carried her the day before. The moment he saw that, he knew. He knew Ayna had used magi on herself.